Mentalist Episode Tag, Ruddy Cheeks, 4x18
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Lisbon seeks Jane's advice about Cho.  Spoilers, 4x18. Humor/Friendship/Fluff. No copyright infringement intended.


A/N: I know that this episode wasn't the best, but it also wasn't as bad as I've read people say on blogs and message boards. It had some great moments, like the opening tiger scene, stinky tea, the "at least you'll have your eyebrows" line, shirtless Cho (!), and, of course, Jane in that wonderful pea coat! Then there was the beautiful scene toward the end with Rigsby and Van Pelt, and the tear-jerking sight of Cho trying to muster the courage to confess his problem to Lisbon, probably one of Tim Kang's best performances, in my opinion.

But what I think what made this episode not quite up to par with the rest of this wonderful season, is that the storyline seemed somehow familiar to me, like they've done this one before. Still, even at it's not-so-best, this show remains one of the best on TV. Come on critics, where's you loyalty?

So, all that being said, I chose to focus on a pure Lisbon/Jane tag. I always enjoy writing those the most anyway. I hope you like it.

**Episode Tag, "Ruddy Cheeks"**

Lisbon watched Cho leave, oddly shaken by his strange visit. There was obviously something more he'd wanted to say besides the apology for his unusual tardiness that morning. She knew instinctively it was something big and intense and scary, but Cho was a brick wall, or a fortress, or some other impenetrable metaphorical structure, and there was no way to reach him unless he wanted to be reached. Almost like someone else she knew…

"Still here, I see," said Jane with a grin, coming into her office uninvited and making himself at home on the big white couch he'd bought her.

_Speak of the devil._

"Yes. Trying to finish up the paperwork on the Braddock case."

"Aw," he said noncommittally, but he knew there was clearly something bothering her.

Since Cho had left, Lisbon had lacked focus to take up her work again, and she looked speculatively at Jane, as he instantly relaxed against the cushions, and closed his eyes.

"You have any idea what's up with Cho?" she asked him.

Jane thought Cho's problem was likely two-fold: his dependence on the prescription pain meds he'd been eating like candy since he was hit by a car, and the ex-prostitute he was sleeping with that he didn't want anyone to know about. But his eyes remained closed and he would not sell Cho out. Not that they were the best of friends or anything, but Jane greatly respected Lisbon's second in command both for his amazing interrogation skills as well as his equally amazing taciturn nature. There was something inherently honorable about men of few words.

"He seems normal to me," he said. It wasn't exactly a lie; Cho _seemed_ no different than every other day Jane had known him. Only someone who was hyper- observant would have noticed Cho was going through something. Well, two somethings.

Jane's eyelids remained closed, but he could envision Lisbon narrowing her own eyes in annoyance. He grinned.

"Jane."

He turned his head to look at her. "If there is something Cho needs help with, he'll come to you. He knows he can trust you. Let him try to handle it himself first."

"You know something."

"I _know_ nothing. I can speculate, but that wouldn't be fair to Cho."

She got up from her chair, tossing the half-filled forms on her desk in disgust. She sat heavily on the couch beside him.

"Why is it that men feel the need to keep secrets from women? What, are they afraid they can't trust us? Afraid they'll look weak and vulnerable? Afraid to ask for help?"

Jane considered her questions. "Yes. Yes. And…yes."

"Well, that's just stupid."

"Yes."

"Not defending your own sex in this one?"

"What can I say to defend us? Most of us were raised not to share our pain, to suck it up, be a man. Didn't you read _Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus?"_

"What?"

"Come on, Lisbon, every woman over thirty has read it. Don't look at me like that. You know you have a dog-eared copy in your bedside table, right next to the scented candles, Hershey bars and the other unmentionables."

She flushed. "Jane."

"Well, let me refresh your memory, Lisbon. Men withdraw to lick their wounds, to figure out what they're going to do with a problem. Women want to talk a problem to death until the man wants to put a bullet in his head-"

"Or _she_ wants to do it for him," Lisbon finished dryly. "Yes, I admit to having read that nineties pop psychological drivel. Cho is retreating to his man cave, much like you when you go up into that dusty old attic. But for your information, I didn't seek him out. He came here and almost told me what was bothering him. Then, he changed his mind and gave me some lame excuse that he was sorry for being late for work. So what does that mean, Dr. Jane?"

"Hmmm…very interesting. Sounds like he wanted to tell you, but maybe decided he could handle it on his own after all and didn't want to bother you with his problems."

"I guess I could see that," she said reluctantly.

"Don't borrow trouble, Lisbon. He knows he can trust you, but he admires you so wouldn't want to look weak in front of you. Cho's a proud man.""

"But does he know I wouldn't judge him?" she said softly.

"Yes. This is all him. Try not to take his problems on your little shoulders. You're not his big sister."

She slugged him in the arm.

"Or mine," he said, rubbing his aching limb. "Geeze, Lisbon, I was only trying to help." 

For once after she hit him, she felt instantly contrite. "Sorry. I know I'm not his sister, but old habits die hard, and I do feel like we're part of a family here. It disturbs me that there could be something terribly wrong and I can't do anything about it."

"At the risk of being hit again, stop being such a damn control freak."

When she reared back her fist again, Jane cringed and protected his injury. He wondered belatedly if he should cover his nose too. When a blow didn't come, he looked over to see her leaning her head against the couch, eyes closed, but brows still knit, her small hands fisted at her sides.

"You're right," she said on a sigh.

"Of course I am."

She opened one eye—the evil one.

"Just sayin'," he said, hands up defensively. "You know, if you would listen to me more often, you'd have much less to worry about in your life." 

She chuckled at that, and he saw to his approval that she was starting to relax at last. "Yeah, right," she said. "If I recall, it seems I take on the most trouble and worry whenever I _do_ listen to you."

"Yes, Lisbon, but unlike Cho, you can read me like a book."

"Ha. If only that were true."

"Come on, Lisbon, you probably know me better than anyone else. And I share things with you."

She opened both eyes and looked at him. "More often lately, that's true. But you still hide in your man cave, still keep secrets."

"If I do, it is usually only to protect you."

"That is a tired old argument, and I'm too tired to argue it tonight." She yawned and covered her mouth apologetically.

"It's been a long day, Jane. To hell with those reports; I'm going home."

"Good for you. Go home and take a nice hot bath. Maybe have some wine. Baths are the woman's equivalent to a man cave, are they not?"

She laughed. "Sort of. They're usually much more sanitary, however."

He grinned. Thinking of his dusty attic, she had a point.

He rose from the couch, then reached out both hands to help her up. She let him try to pull up her dead weight and chuckled when it took him two tries.

"You know, Lisbon, maybe we aren't from two such different worlds after all," he mused on the way to the elevator.

"Oh? Men _aren't_ from Mars?"

"No, men are from Earth; women are from…the moon."

They stood now in front of the temperamentally slow elevator. "Jane, that's one of the most sexist things you have ever said. Women's lives do _not_ revolve around men."

He laughed. "That's not what I meant at all. No, what I meant was, women and men aren't so far apart that the distance between them isn't reachable. And sometimes men can lose sight of women, but they know they are always there, and will come back to them eventually to guide their way through the darkness once more."

"That's beautiful, Jane," she said, rolling her eyes. She turned to him as a thought occurred to her, at the same time she saw his mouth quirking in barely suppressed amusement. Her voice grew deadly. "Now, if you mention the lunar cycle or relate that in any way to a woman, you're dead meat, buster."

"Why, Lisbon, I would never even think of such a thing."

The elevator dinged its arrival and they both stepped inside for the short trip down.

"You're right, Jane. Men aren't from Mars, they're from Jupiter."

"Because it is the largest planet and named for the Romans' most powerful god?"

"No, because it's full of hot air."

"Now, Lisbon, that was very childish of you."

"Childish would have been saying men all come from Uranus."

"Well, thanks for sparing me that, at least."

"You're welcome."

They were silent until the doors slid open again on the ground floor.

"Don't worry about Cho, Lisbon," he said seriously. "He's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm always right, remember?"

But this time, Lisbon didn't bite. That too was an argument best saved for another day.

A/N: Okay, just a bit of fluff. I considered writing for Cho and Summer, but I want to see what the show does with them, so didn't want to make this tag obsolete after the next SumCho episode. I'm really going to miss the show next week. March 29th seems a long way away…

Oh, and ladies, all kidding aside, if you've never read _Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus, _by John Gray, it really makes a lot of sense. I highly recommend it ;).

"


End file.
